Take careful small step when you're wading on unfamiliar riverbeds and don't commit your weight to your leading foot until you've got a firm riverbed footing. Here's one such angler doing just that on the River Tay near Pitlochry during good low water wading conditions.

Here's a River Tay Spring salmon that was aught on the fly near Dunkeld during the first week of June. Although caught in June this is a Spring salmon that's been in the river for a few weeks so still technically a Spring run salmon. The silver salmon fly reel you can see is a Van Staal C-Vex 9-11 Combo model which is my favourite salmon fly reel.

Here's a beautiful May shot showing a lone angler out on the River Tay near Dunkeld in search of a prized Scottish Spring salmon. The shadow of the trees on the far bank is a great salmon lie for fish that have powered up through the fast water immediately downstream.

Here's a salmon fishing guest fly fishing their way down through the Gean Tree Pool of the River Tay's Kercock salmon beat. This guest was under the supervision of a professional salmon guide resulting in 2 salmon being caught by this fisher that day even though it was a very bright July day. Look at the lovely sunlight sparkle coming off the water.

Here's a guided River Tay salmon fishing guest fishing his way methodically down through the Meetings Pool on the Upper Kinnaird salmon beat which is a perfect holding area for salmon in medium to low water levels from mid March through to October each year. Look at the beautiful fully leafed oak trees on the far side of the river.

This is one of the salmon fishing middle River Tay hot spots. This stretch of water is known as the Ash Tree Pool which accounts for 40% of the salmon caught on the Lower Kinnaird beat. This salmon fishing guest is fishing the tail of the Ash Tree pool with a professional River Tay salmon guide who took this photograph.

The River Tay's Newtyle Beat has many good salmon fishing pools that can be fished with a fly or a spinner. This fly fishing angler is just approaching one such hotspot at the tail of The Trap Pool. I took this shot while working as a salmon fishing guide for this salmon fisher. This fine photograph was taken during August when many fish are present in this lovely Tay salmon pool.

Wading A Salmon River

By Jock Monteith 30th July 2026

There's much more to successful wading techniques than just pulling a pair of chest waders on and charging into the salmon river.

Just because a pair of chest waders go all the way up to the chest there are many good reasons why a salmon angler should never ever consider doing that.

Here's a salmon fly fisher wading down through the mouth of the River Tummel where this river meets the River Tay. Technically he's wading too deep through this fast stream and if he came back in just a foot or two he'd reduce the water pressure significantly on the the back of his legs.

Buoyancy When Wading A Salmon River

None of the current chest wader manufacturers advise what your buoyancy percentage levels are while in at mid thigh to mid chest which to my mind is just negligent. All salmon anglers should be aware that the deeper they wade the less weight they carry which means they can be fairly easily bowled over by the current when wading deep.

Look at the beautiful silver flanks of the June caught river Tay fresh run salmon which was hooked and landed at the Ash Tree Pool on The Lower Kinnaird Beat of The River Tay on this bright light early June fishing day. Note the salmon fishing trip guest is wearing eye protection and a life jacket as safety always comes first on the salmon river.

Always Wear A Life Jacket When Salmon Fishing

In addition to this I have often seen salmon fishers out wading deep in the river who have no life jackets on. This is completely bonkers and sadly some salmon fishing seasons bring at least one unnecessary fatality due to this sheer stupidity. All salmon beats in Scotland should have a 'mandatory' approach to the use of lifejackets in my professional opinion as when a life is tragically lost there is no getting it back.

This is the Steps Pool on the Newtyle Beat of the River Tay and I've drawn the optimal wade line in red which allows anglers to fish through the pool safely and effectively without spooking any salmon that may be present. I took this downstream shot while working as this guest's salmon fishing guide for the day.

A Stealthy Salmon Pool Approach Is Best

Stealth while approaching a salmon pool and when entering the river are key salmon fishing components as salmon are very aware of unnatural movements. Don't just power walk up the gravel riverbank of the pool you're about to fish but instead walk slowly and keep well back from the riverbank until you reach your starting position. The first thing a salmon should ever be aware of is your salmon fly and nothing else.

Here's one of our River Tay salmon fishing trip guests moments before a Spring salmon took his fly at the Green Bank Pool of the River Tay at Kinnaird. Careful salmon lie approach often pays off when fishing any salmon pool especially when salmon are suspected of lying close to the riverbank like this scenario. This fisher had come from California to fish the Tay and departed with a very special memory.

Start Salmon Fishing With Thoughtfulness On How You Are Profiling

When you get to your starting position don't do what most anglers do by wading straight in creating a big bow wave before pulling all of their fly line off the reel and starting with one big 'Olympian' cast. Stand back at ankle or shin depth and start with a short line extending the length of the line by a yard between each cast until you have the length of line suitable for that specific pool application before you slowly start wading out to the depth required and only then then start moving between each cast methodically downstream through the pool.

Knowing how and where to wade through a salmon pool like this fisher is doing for minimal disruption is a vital skill to master in Scottish salmon fishing. Most anglers think that wading deeper is better but the true facts about wading are quite the opposite. Observe that this salmon fisher is only at knee depth so as not disturb the salmon pool which is essential for salmon fishing success.

Wading A Salmon River With Small Careful Steps Is Safer

As a salmon fishing instructor, small careful steps are the best and safest steps to take especially if you're not familiar with the pool you're wading through. Your feet become your hands so you're feeling your way along the riverbed. If you reach any large stones never step over them as there will always be a deep pocket on the downstream side of all boulders so always wade around the inside edge when you encounter them. 3 feet or 3 small steps between each cast has brought me the most success when fishing so try the same tactic if you struggle to catch salmon or feel you're not covering enough water.

Salmon Fishing Wading

When wading through salmon pools that have a very rocky riverbed it is useful to carry a wading stick to test the depth and contours areas you're wading into and to give you an extra point of contact for stability. All wading sticks should have a heavy duty and secure rubber gromet over the end so as not to alert the entire salmon population that there's a 'tap dancing' salmon angler approaching. In light gravel easily waded pools a wading stick can be a nuisance but its always a good idea to have one with you for the trickier riverbeds you'll encounter.

Look at the smile on this salmon angler's face moments after landing this perfect Summer salmon from the River Tay in Perthshire. Catching a salmon like this on the fly takes skill, patience and a good tactical understanding of how to fish your fly effectively. This 14lbs Summer salmon is being held in the McLean landing net for this photo before being released.

Polaroid Fishing Glasses For Eye Protection & Wading Safety

A good pair of polaroids can be your best friend on any salmon river for various reasons and primarily for sensible eye protection. While wading through a pool polaroids will also give you a greater sense of confidence as they'll allow you to see where you're stepping so always have them with you. Often a good pair of polaroids will allow you to spot salmon lying in the pools of a river especially in the clearer & smaller Scottish salmon rivers so always make sure there's a good pair residing in your fishing bag!

For More Specialist Information On Salmon Fishing

This website's sister site has a search directory for 'Questions & Answers' regarding various different salmon fishing topics & tactics. While the sister site design & content is fairly new and still very much a 'work in progress' there's already much useful content that could assist new or experienced Scottish salmon fishers in this fabulous pursuit. Follow this Salmon Fishing Advice link for access to this new salmon fishing information source.